Juicy Oven-Baked Venison Burgers Recipe

Make mouthwatering, juicy Venison Burgers without any added fat! You can have lean, delicious venison burgers from ground venison in less than a half hour.

If you have ground venison left over after making venison burgers, be sure to also check out my venison tacos with aji verde!

So you know how I mentioned we had 28 pounds of venison in our freezer when I posted my Mexican Lasagna recipe?? Well we are slowly making our way through it all! We had slow cooker chili, Mexican lasagna made with venison, venison steak, and now I made venison burgers.

More game meat recipes to try: Air Fryer Frog Legs

Ground venison recipe

For those of you who are new to venison, venison is deer meat. So venison burgers are made from ground deer meat!

A lot of people are turning towards eating venison, because venison is typically naturally organic, free-range, etc., because it is hunted by hunters instead of farm-raised. And venison is very flavorful and is much lower in fat than beef.

So this ground venison recipe is a great idea if you want to make a burger and enjoy your red meat, but want to keep it a little healthier. By the way, you might also want to check out my bison meatballs for another healthy beef alternative!

Where to buy venison:

Most grocery stores probably do not carry venison unless you live in a rural area, but butcher shops are more likely to have it. If you can't find it in person, you can always order venison online from reputable sellers such as Fossil Farms. If you're going to place an order, you should try venison steak or medallions too, just to get an idea of how flavorful venison is even without extra seasoning.You can also find even more venison recipes on their website.

Do you need to add fat to ground venison?

A lot of people add fat to ground venison when making burgers. But what is the point of adding fat to such a lean, flavorful meat?

My venison burgers are really good and juicy without adding extra fat to them.

I add an egg to the ground venison mixture to help the burgers bind together. The burgers aren't dry or tough. 

These burgers are delicious with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. My husband ate his with a fried egg on top and oh my goodness that was delicious!

How to make venison burgers:

Venison burgers are made very similarly to regular beef burgers: start by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing well.

Then form the patties:

The venison patties are first cooked in a pan. A cast-iron pan is the best for this recipe. You can use either a cast-iron grill pan or a regular cast iron pan to brown the burgers.

You'll want to use canola oil to sear the burgers, or another oil that tolerates high heat. If you use olive oil, you'll get a lot of smoke since you'll be cooking these burgers at very high heat in the pan.

After a quick sear, the burgers are put in the oven for 10 minutes to cook them to my liking - medium-well for me, please! (The recommended temperature to cook ground venison is 160F).

If you are using a cast-iron pan that can fit all the burgers, you can transfer it directly into the oven. Or you can place the burgers on a baking sheet, if you prefer.

If you prefer to cook these on a grill, then just prepare the venison burger patties using my recipe below, and follow your favorite grilled burger directions for the cooking time. Just be careful not to overcook them past 160F so they remain juicy and flavorful.

How to serve venison burgers:

Serve these venison burgers with your favorite burger toppings, just like you would eat a burger made out of beef. Some ideas:

• Lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion
• Mayo, ketchup, or this delicious mayo-sriracha-ketchup sauce I use on my pork burgers
• Cheese
• Sauteed onions and/or mushrooms
• Fried egg
• With a side of crispy baked sunchoke chips

And don't forget to toast the bun!

Other burger recipes to try:

• Instant Pot burgers
• Taco Burgers with Salsa
• Juicy Chicken Burgers with Guacamole
• Turkey Burgers
• Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers with Feta
• Juicy Ground Pork Burgers

Enjoy this recipe! Please let me know if you end up making these, either by leaving a comment and rating below, or tagging me on instagram: @babaganoshblog. I love to hear from you all!

What to serve with venison burgers

As much as I would like to load up my plate with French fries anytime I have a burger, I try to pair my burgers with a healthier side dish, such as a salad.

But not a boring salad! Oh no. Here are some flavorful healthier side dishes for burgers:

• Coleslaw orzo salad - half coleslaw, half pasta salad, with a light and tasty citrusy vinaigrette
• Spiralized zucchini and carrot salad with lemon garlic dressing
• No mayo potato salad with feta and olives
• Carrot daikon radish salad with sesame ginger dressing
• Sauteed bell pepper salad

Other tasty non-beef burger recipes:

• Juicy turkey burgers with guacamole
• Juicy ground pork burgers
• Sweet potato chickpea burgers with feta and sriracha - a great vegetarian option!